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Cars 4 Rental Information on Morocco

General

Area: 710,850 sq km (274,461 sq miles).

Population: 29,631,000 (official estimate 2002).

Population Density: 41.7 per sq km.

Capital: Rabat. Population: 1,335,996 (1994).

GEOGRAPHY: Morocco is located on the westernmost tip of north Africa, bordering Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south and southeast, the Atlantic ocean to the west and the Mediterranean to the north. Running through the middle of the country is the Atlas mountain range, which leads to the fertile plains and sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast. The Middle Atlas range sweeps up from the south, rising to over 3000m (9850ft), covered with woodlands of pine, oak and cedar, open pastureland and small lakes. The Rif Mountains run along the north coast. The ports of Ceuta (Sebta) and Melilla on the north coast are administered by Spain.

Government: Constitutional monarchy since 1956. Gained independence from France in 1956. Head of State: King Mohammed VI since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Driss Jettou since October 2002.

Language: The official language is Arabic, but Berber is spoken by a large minority. French is widely spoken throughout the country, except in the northern regions where Spanish is more predominant. English is also understood, particularly in the north and the main tourist areas.

Religion: Predominantly Muslim with Jewish and Christian minorities. Morocco’s population and culture stems from a cross-section of origins including Berbers, Arabs, Moors and Jews.

Time: GMT.

Electricity: 127/220 volts AC, 50Hz, depending on age and location of building.

Communications:

Telephone

Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 212. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 networks. Main operators include Itissalat Al-Maghrib SA (website: www.onpt.net.ma) and Medi Telecom (website: www.meditel.ma). Coverage is mainly available in the cities in the west of Morocco.

Fax

Available in hotels.

Telegram

Facilities are available throughout the country at main post offices.

Internet

Access is widely available in business centres, hotels and in Internet cafes. ISPs include Jaweb (website: www.jaweb.ma) and Menara (website: www.casanet.net.ma).

Post

Airmail to Europe takes up to one week and can be unreliable. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1200 and 1430-1830, Sat 0830-1400.

Press

Daily newspapers are published in French and Arabic. The main French newspapers are: L'Economiste, Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb (website: www.lematin.press.ma), Maroc Soir and L’Opinion. The main Arabic newspapers are Al Alam and Al Maghrib. The main English-language paper is Morocco Today.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Moroccan Dirham (Dh) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of Dh200, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of Dh10, 5 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes.

Currency exchange: Moroccan Dirhams can only be obtained in Morocco. National currencies should be exchanged at official bureaux de change only (identified by a golden sign); changing money in the street is illegal. There is no commission charge and visitors will be issued with a receipt which they must keep in order to exchange Moroccan currency back into the original national currency upon departure. Money can be withdrawn in banks with a credit card and a cheque book or directly from an ATM in some larger towns.

Credit & debit cards: Some credit cards are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is prohibited; all local currency must be reconverted prior to departure. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited but must be declared if in excess of the equivalent of Dh15,000. Upon production of bank vouchers, half the Moroccan currency purchased during a visitor’s stay may be re-exchanged for foreign currency (subject to some limitations) and all of it if the stay is less than 48 hours.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movement of the Moroccan Dirham against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04
£1.00= 15.89 16.21 16.41 16.43
$1.00= 9.36 8.90 9.19 8.91

Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0815-1215 and 1415-1715; Fri 0815-1115 and 1430-1730; Sat 0900-1300.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 1 N/A
Malaria 2 N/A

1: Vaccination against polio and typhoid is advised.

2: A minimal malaria risk, exclusively in the benign vivax form, exists from May to October in rural areas of the following provinces: Al Hoceima, Taounate and Taza.

Food & drink: Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of stay. Drinking water outside main cities and towns may be contaminated and sterilisation is advisable. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present in small foci. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Soil parasites are also present; visitors should wear shoes. Hepatitis A and E also occur. Immunisations are sometimes recommended for hepatitis B, tuberculosis and diphtheria. Tungiasis and Lassa fever also occur, although rarely.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Health care: There are good medical facilities in all main cities, including emergency pharmacies (sometimes in the Town Hall) outside normal opening hours. Government hospitals provide free or minimal charge emergency treatment. Full health insurance is essential.

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Climate

The climate varies from area to area. The coast has a warm, Mediterranean climate tempered on the eastern coast by southwest trade winds. Inland areas have a hotter, drier, continental climate. In the south of the country, the weather is very hot and dry throughout most of the year, with the nights coolest in the months of December and January. Rain falls from November to March in coastal areas. Mostly dry with high temperatures in summer. Cooler climate in the mountains. Marrakech and Agadir enjoy an average temperature of 21C (70F) in the winter.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn during summer, with warm mediumweights for the evenings during winter and in the mountains. Waterproofing is advisable in the wet season, particularly on the coast and in the mountains.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No Yes
Australian Yes No Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU Yes No/1 Yes
Japanese Yes No Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of countries shown in the chart above for stays of up to three months (1. except nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia who do require a visa);
(b) nationals of Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Congo (Rep), Cte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Iceland, Indonesia, Korea (Rep), Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Mali, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Peru, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela for stays of up to three months;
(c) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport.

Types of visa and cost: Single-entry: £16; Double-entry or Multiple-entry (both business only): £25. Prices may fluctuate in accordance with the exchange rate and must be paid by postal order only.

Validity: Entry visas are valid for three months; visitors wishing to stay longer should apply to the local police station within 15 days of arrival. For other visa enquiries, contact the Embassy (see Contact Addresses section).

Application to: Consular section at Embassy (not the Consulate for those residing in London); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) One completed application form. (b) Four passport-size photos taken within the previous six months. (c) Passport (valid for at least six months from date of exit out of Morocco, and with at least one blank page), with a photocopy of the relevant data pages. (d) Fee, payable by postal order only. (e) Photocopy of all flight bookings. (f) Photocopy of hotel reservation. (g) Self-addressed, stamped, registered envelope for postal applications (for those living outside London only).

Working days required: Normally four, upon receipt of all necessary documents. Some nationals should note that their application forms are sent to Morocco for clearance and processing and may take up to two months.

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